Blue Ridge Writers, Charlottesville, invites VWC members to participate in its upcoming publication “The Memoir”. Submissions no greater than ~3500 words (500-4,000). A suitable illustration may be included. Query the editor John Nicolay at nicolay0211@gmail.com before May. The project as two aspects. The obvious submission and a second improv chat among participants regarding thoughts on the memoir. This chat, formatted as a playscript, serves as the preface. BRW desires to create a publication outlet for Virginia Writers. The next in the series is “Writing Fiction” late Fall and “Poetry” Spring 2021. Submissions are unpublished work, author retains copyright.

Charles Tabb, who is president of the Hanover Writers Club, a chapter of VWC, is proud to announce that his debut literary novel, Floating Twigs, is firmly in place in Amazon's top 100 sellers in the Literary Fiction (Books) category, and is ranked in the top fifteen, recently going as high as #10, in the more limited Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense Literary Fiction category. The Kindle version ranks in the top fifty in Literary Fiction when limited to Kindle only. Charles is also listed in the top 100 authors of literary fiction, generally placing in the 70's and 80's in that ranking. Readers who belong to Kindle Unlimited have read nearly one million pages of his books this month. His novels are on pace to exceed 1.3 million pages read in that program. Overall, the Kindle version of Floating Twigs is currently popping in and out of the top 400 Kindle books sold at Amazon. The book can be found at Amazon.com by searching the title.

J. Thomas Brown will read from his novel, The Land of Three Houses, which is inspired by true events. His boyhood home in the Tohickon Valley, rich in history, was taken by eminent domain and demolished. The entire Tohickon Valley, along with farms, homes, mills, and settlers’ graves, was denuded and flooded to create Nockamixon State Park and Lake Nockamixon. Much of the story is woven around three strong women of the 1790s, including Madam Germaine de Staèl, an Enlightenment thinker and salonnière whose pen and wit caused Napoleon to ban her from Paris. The reading will be at the Barnes & Noble at Chesterfield Towne Center in Midlothian, VA on March 28, 2020 at 3:00pm. For more information, go to https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780062121434-0

Sara Robinson's recently released poetry book, Needville, is now a play. Adapted into a 2-act play, the voices of those affected by coal mining in SW Virginia come to life in recitations and readings of the poems. First performance is on March 4, 2020; 7:30PM at The Colonnades 2600 Barracks Rd. C'ville. Free and open to public. Seating is first-come, first-serve.

The Blue Ridge Writers are hosting a Writers Retreat on Saturday, October 26 beginning at 1:00 pm. It will be a casual, loosely-planned gathering to enjoy the Blue Ridge in autumn with other members. An idyllic setting for socializing, feasting, and writing and sharing. BRW Members can bring a guest and potential new BRW Members are welcome. For more information, go to the Blue Ridge Writers tab under "Chapters" and click on the drop-down tab for the retreat.